Dec. 18, 2020 — In recognition of National Glaucoma Awareness Month in January 2021, Prevent Blindness is providing a variety of free resources and educational tools.
The “Future of Vision” report from Prevent Blindness states that there are more than an estimated 3.7 million older adults in the U.S. with glaucoma, often referred to as the “sneak thief of sight” due to its gradual occurrence.
According to the National Eye Institute, women account for 61% of glaucoma cases. Additionally, black Americans age 40 and older are at the highest risk of developing glaucoma. By age 69, nearly 6% of black Americans have glaucoma, with the risk rising to nearly 12% after age 80. And, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that because Hispanics and Latinos are the largest and fastest-growing minority group in the U.S., by 2050, half of people living with glaucoma will be Hispanic or Latino.
To help educate the public on glaucoma, including risk factors, symptoms, treatment options, and more, Prevent Blindness, in partnership with Responsum Health, has launched the new resource, “The Glaucoma Community.” This comprehensive resource, accessible online or through the mobile app, provides users with a variety of features, including:
- A personalized newsfeed
- A community chat function
- Dedicated Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/glaucomacommunity
- Glaucoma content in seven different languages
- A Patient One-Sheet, which allows patients to easily collect, maintain, and print key medical information in a secure format.
- Access to extensive patient resources, including financial assistance programs and glaucoma support groups.
“The Glaucoma Community was designed to provide the public with multiple tools to help save sight from one of the most prevalent eye diseases in the world,” says Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “As the New Year unfolds, we encourage everyone to make a strong commitment to their vision health by making an appointment with an eye doctor as soon as possible. By detecting and treating vision problems early, including glaucoma, we can help protect the precious gift of sight.”
In addition to volunteers from Prevent Blindness, the Content Advisory Council for The Glaucoma Community includes representatives from the BrightFocus Foundation, National Medical Association Ophthalmology, and The Glaucoma Foundation. The Glaucoma Community was made possible by a grant from The Allergan Foundation.
For more information, visit preventblindness.org/glaucoma.